The exceptionally frugal gourmet, part 2

Two more simple and ultra- economical pasta dishes from my notebook.

Vodka Penne

My son Kosta loves this dish.
It’s another one from the Patricia Wells’s Trattoria cookbook – a great source for quick and easy Italian food. It’s less do-able on an extremely low budget if you don’t already have a bottle of vodka. You only need two tablespoons, though, so you might be able to get a neighbor to donate to the cause. Or call a friend who has a full liquor cabinet and an empty fridge, and maybe you can do a barter.

¼ C olive oil
4 large garlic cloves
½ t crushed hot red pepper flakes
Sea salt
1 28 oz can plum tomatoes, or 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, or 28 oz frozen peeled homegrown tomatoes (thawed).
1 lb dried penne
2 T vodka
½ heavy cream
¼ C chopped parsley

In a large unheated skillet, stir to combine the oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Cook over moderate heat until garlic is golden but does not brown (2 to 3 minutes).
If using canned or frozen whole tomatoes, chop them with their liquid in a food processor or put them through a food mill. In any case, add the tomatoes to the pan. Stir to blend and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile boil the penne in salted water until al dente. Drain thoroughly.
Add the penne to the sauce. Toss. Add the vodka, toss again, then add the cream and toss. Cover, reduce heat to low, and let rest 1 to 2 minutes. Uncover, add the parsley, toss again. Serve immediately with a green salad on the side.


Spaghetti with Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese

We used to like to eat out at the Old Spaghetti Factory. In the days when we were traveling frequently to Oakland or Portland with four small children, it had exactly what we needed: noise, lots to look at, and an inexpensive kids menu with something everyone would eat. The kids ordered spaghetti and meatballs, but this dish was my personal favorite.

The menu still features it with the interesting assertion “Legend has it that Homer lived on it while composing the Iliad”. My first thought was, what was Homer doing in China? But I looked it up in Meals and Recipes from Ancient Greece and it seems those guys did have a kind of pasta - made of spelt, wheat, and water - which they served with sauce (don’t tell my husband, or we’ll never hear the end of it; like the father in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," he thinks the Greeks invented everything). Clever fellow, that Homer, composing orally with a mouth full of pasta while strumming his phorinx at the same time.

Anyway, I buy mizithra at the Ashland Food Co-op, where it’s $8.99 a pound. It is almost certainly cheaper at Costco.

This is about the easiest recipe you’ll ever find: Boil a pound of spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, melt and then brown half a cube of butter in a pan (watch it – golden brown is good, but dark brown will make it bitter). Grate the cheese – maybe about 4-6 oz. for this much spaghetti. When the pasta is done, drain it well and toss with the butter and cheese. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top if you’re feeling fancy. Also good with a little ground black pepper. Serve with a green salad.

At about a dollar a person, no wonder the Old Spaghetti Factory promotes it – they charge $10 plate.